October 31, 2017

 

EU pork exports continue slide in August

 

 

A fall in trade with China has taken a toll on EU fresh/frozen pork exports as they declined 11% in August to 160,000 tonnes compared with the same month last year, according to AHDB Pork. The decline has continued since April.

 

Although the quantity of fresh/frozen pork exports fell in August, the total value dropped just 3% to €398 million (US$463.1 million), helped by a 9% increase in the average prices per tonne.

 

Trade with China has been slower throughout the first eight months, and in August recorded a year-on-year decline of 33% to 53,000 tonnes. Furthermore, the value of pork trade with China fell 37% to €89 million ($103.57 million).

 

Although the value of EU shipments to Japan was higher, the quantity was lower than China, at 30,000 tonnes. Year-on-year, EU pork exports to Japan increased 10%.

 

EU shipments to the US are continuing a trend recorded across the year, and in August increased 102% year-on-year to 9,000 tonnes. Hong Kong and the Philippines also rose 22% and 35% respectively year-on-year.

 

January-August exports

 

During the period January-August, pork exports totalled 1.36 million tonnes, or 14% less than in the same period in 2016. Export value, though, was just 0.5% less than in 2016 at €3.4 billion ($3.96 billion), due to increasing price per tonne.

 

Meanwhile, pig offal exports in August also decreased, this time by 7% year-on-year to 108,000 tonnes.

 

The pork division of the UK Agriculture & Horticulture Development Board said that pig offal exports to China in August were 18% less year-on-year at 58,000 tonnes. For Hong Kong, the second-largest destination for EU pig offal, shipments declined 9% year-on-year to 17,000 tonnes .

 

Offal exports to Japan in August increased 177% to 3,500 tonnes.

 

In the first eight months, EU exports of pig offal declined 6% to 845,000 tonnes compared with 2016.

 

-- Rick Alberto